Election watch: What are the main parties promising on health?

ConservativesOn 1 June the Conservative Party promised to provide more treatment in the community if it won the election by building 100 new general practices in England. The party also pledged to expand the Pharmacy First scheme—launched by the NHS in January—to increase the number of treatments pharmacies can provide without people needing to see a GP first. Pharmacies would be able to offer contraceptive patches and injections, and also treatments for conditions such as acne and chest infections, to help free up GP appointments. In an interview with BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme on 2 June the health and social care secretary, Victoria Atkins, was pressed on how the pledges squared with the party’s record in government, including the closure of 450 practices since 2013 and the closure of more than 1000 pharmacies since 2015.3 Atkins defended the Conservatives’ record, insisting that it had hit previous targets to…
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